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Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310

Portability
89
Imaging
48
Features
52
Overall
49
Olympus PEN E-PM1 front
 
Olympus TG-310 front
Portability
94
Imaging
37
Features
33
Overall
35

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Key Specs

Olympus E-PM1
(Full Review)
  • 12MP - Four Thirds Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 100 - 12800
  • Sensor based Image Stabilization
  • 1920 x 1080 video
  • Micro Four Thirds Mount
  • 265g - 110 x 64 x 34mm
  • Announced November 2011
  • Later Model is Olympus E-PM2
Olympus TG-310
(Full Review)
  • 14MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 2.7" Fixed Display
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-102mm (F3.9-5.9) lens
  • 155g - 96 x 63 x 23mm
  • Released January 2011
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Overview

Here is a thorough assessment of the Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310, one being a Entry-Level Mirrorless and the other is a Waterproof and both of them are manufactured by Olympus. The resolution of the E-PM1 (12MP) and the TG-310 (14MP) is fairly comparable but the E-PM1 (Four Thirds) and TG-310 (1/2.3") possess totally different sensor measurements.

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The E-PM1 was launched 11 months later than the TG-310 and they are both of a similar generation. Both of these cameras come with different body type with the Olympus E-PM1 being a Rangefinder-style mirrorless camera and the Olympus TG-310 being a Compact camera.

Before going straight into a in depth comparison, below is a simple highlight of how the E-PM1 matches up versus the TG-310 with regards to portability, imaging, features and an overall rating.

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Reasons to pick Olympus E-PM1 over the Olympus TG-310

 E-PM1 TG-310 
ReleasedNovember 2011January 2011Fresher by 11 months
Manually focus More accurate focusing
Display dimension3"2.7"Larger display (+0.3")
Display resolution460k230kClearer display (+230k dot)

Reasons to pick Olympus TG-310 over the Olympus E-PM1

 TG-310 E-PM1 

Common features in the Olympus E-PM1 and Olympus TG-310

 E-PM1 TG-310 
Display typeFixed Fixed Fixed display
Selfie screen Neither includes selfie screen
Touch display Neither includes Touch display

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Physical Comparison

If you're intending to carry your camera often, you will need to think about its weight and measurements. The Olympus E-PM1 features outside measurements of 110mm x 64mm x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") having a weight of 265 grams (0.58 lbs) while the Olympus TG-310 has proportions of 96mm x 63mm x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9") having a weight of 155 grams (0.34 lbs).

Examine the Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 in the all new Camera and Lens Size Comparison Tool. Camera Size Comparison with Lenses

Remember, the weight of an Interchangeable Lens Camera will change based on the lens you select during that time. Following is the front view proportions comparison of the E-PM1 compared to the TG-310.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 size comparison

Using size and weight, the portability grade of the E-PM1 and TG-310 is 89 and 94 respectively.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 top view buttons comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Sensor Comparison

Generally, its difficult to see the gap in sensor sizing just by going through technical specs. The photograph here should offer you a clearer sense of the sensor sizing in the E-PM1 and TG-310.

As you have seen, each of these cameras have got different megapixels and different sensor sizing. The E-PM1 due to its larger sensor will make getting shallower DOF easier and the Olympus TG-310 will show extra detail utilizing its extra 2MP. Greater resolution can also let you crop pics much more aggressively. The newer E-PM1 is going to have an advantage with regard to sensor tech.

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 sensor size comparison

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Screen and ViewFinder

Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Screen and Viewfinder comparison
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Photography Type Scores

Portrait Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Portrait photography factors
Olympus TG-310 Portrait photography factors
60
has manual focus
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
offers face detect autofocus
supports RAW formats
low resolution sensor (12MP)
33
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
offers face detect focusing
manual focus not available
manual mode not available
external flash not possible
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Street Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 as a Street photography camera
Olympus TG-310 as a Street photography camera
75
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
no articulating screen
66
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
weather sealing
lighter than competition (155 grams)
fixed screen
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW support
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Sports Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Sports photography factors
Olympus TG-310 Sports photography factors
49
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
offers tracking focus
slow fps (6.0 frames per second)
low resolution sensor (12 megapixels)
doesn't have phase detect autofocus
40
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sensor resolution is decent (14MP)
offers tracking focus
weather sealing
slow frames per second (1.0 fps)
lack of shutter priority mode
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
bad battery life (150 shots)
no phase detect AF
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Travel Comparison

Travel photography with Olympus E-PM1
Travel photography with Olympus TG-310
45
doesn't have Timelapse recording
low resolution sensor (12MP)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
67
lighter than competition (155 grams)
weather sealing
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
built-in flash
really wide (28mm)
lack of Timelapse function
bad battery life (150 CIPA)
screen isn't selfie friendly
sluggish max aperture (f3.9)
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Landscape Comparison

Landscape photography with Olympus E-PM1
Landscape photography with Olympus TG-310
65
has manual focus
change lenses (Micro Four Thirds mount)
screen size is good (3")
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
sensor size is good (Four Thirds)
supports RAW formats
low resolution sensor (12MP)
doesn't have Timelapse recording
39
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
sensor resolution is decent (14 megapixels)
weather sealing
manual focus not available
cannot swap lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.9)
screen is small (2.7")
manual mode not available
tiny sensor (1/2.3")
no RAW support
bad battery life (150 CIPA)
lack of Timelapse function
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Vlogging Comparison

Olympus E-PM1 Vlogging factors
Olympus TG-310 Vlogging factors
34
built in image stabilization (Sensor based)
offers face detect autofocus
high quality video (1920 x 1080 resolution)
does not feature selfie friendly screen
doesn't have microphone port
32
really wide (28mm)
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
offers face detect focusing
lighter than competition (155 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f3.9)
screen isn't selfie friendly
video quality not great (1280 x 720 pixels)
lack of microphone socket
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Olympus E-PM1 vs Olympus TG-310 Specifications

Detailed spec comparison table for Olympus E-PM1 and Olympus TG-310
 Olympus PEN E-PM1Olympus TG-310
General Information
Brand Olympus Olympus
Model Olympus PEN E-PM1 Olympus TG-310
Class Entry-Level Mirrorless Waterproof
Announced 2011-11-23 2011-01-06
Physical type Rangefinder-style mirrorless Compact
Sensor Information
Processor Chip TruePic VI TruePic III+
Sensor type CMOS CCD
Sensor size Four Thirds 1/2.3"
Sensor measurements 17.3 x 13mm 6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area 224.9mm² 28.1mm²
Sensor resolution 12MP 14MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio 4:3 -
Max resolution 4032 x 3024 4288 x 3216
Max native ISO 12800 1600
Lowest native ISO 100 80
RAW images
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Touch focus
Autofocus continuous
Single autofocus
Tracking autofocus
Selective autofocus
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Autofocus live view
Face detection autofocus
Contract detection autofocus
Phase detection autofocus
Number of focus points 35 -
Cross focus points - -
Lens
Lens mount Micro Four Thirds fixed lens
Lens focal range - 28-102mm (3.6x)
Maximal aperture - f/3.9-5.9
Macro focus range - 3cm
Total lenses 107 -
Crop factor 2.1 5.8
Screen
Screen type Fixed Type Fixed Type
Screen diagonal 3 inch 2.7 inch
Screen resolution 460k dots 230k dots
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch display
Screen tech HyperCrystal LCD AR(Anti-Reflective) coating TFT Color LCD
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder Electronic (optional) None
Features
Minimum shutter speed 60s 4s
Fastest shutter speed 1/4000s 1/2000s
Continuous shutter rate 6.0 frames per sec 1.0 frames per sec
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Exposure compensation Yes -
Change white balance
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash range no built-in flash 4.20 m
Flash modes Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in, Slow Sync, Manual (3 levels) Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Fill-in
External flash
AE bracketing
WB bracketing
Fastest flash synchronize 1/160s -
Exposure
Multisegment metering
Average metering
Spot metering
Partial metering
AF area metering
Center weighted metering
Video features
Supported video resolutions 1920 x 1080 (60 fps), 1280 x 720 (60, 30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps) 1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 180 (30fps)
Max video resolution 1920x1080 1280x720
Video file format AVCHD, Motion JPEG Motion JPEG
Microphone port
Headphone port
Connectivity
Wireless None Eye-Fi Connected
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS None None
Physical
Environment sealing
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight 265g (0.58 pounds) 155g (0.34 pounds)
Dimensions 110 x 64 x 34mm (4.3" x 2.5" x 1.3") 96 x 63 x 23mm (3.8" x 2.5" x 0.9")
DXO scores
DXO Overall score 52 not tested
DXO Color Depth score 21.0 not tested
DXO Dynamic range score 10.3 not tested
DXO Low light score 499 not tested
Other
Battery life 330 pictures 150 pictures
Battery type Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery model BLS-5 LI-42B
Self timer Yes (2 or 12 sec) Yes (2 or 12 sec)
Time lapse shooting
Storage type SD/SDHC/SDXC SD/SDHC/SDXC
Card slots 1 1
Launch pricing $499 $0